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I come in peace

Discussion in 'New Members Introduce Yourself' started by View2, May 20, 2016.

I come in peace

Started by View2 on May 20, 2016 at 9:47 PM

43 Replies 6627 Views 4 Likes

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  1. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    jgroub, May 29, 2016
    #21
    Yup, I observe from Manhattan, an old Algonquin word for "land of no grass" :D, so you're right, I don't need a dew heater. We don't have dry air here, though - it's always humid. Summers are gross.
     
  2. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, May 30, 2016
    #22
    Well I couldn't stand it. It was moderately clear out but obviously hazy and moist, but jupiter was beaming and I saw mars coming round and had to pack it up for First Light. It was cold and moist but I got some goodish views of Jupiter. Better than expected, in fact I think it looked better than I ever remember seeing in my C8. Sawaiting the 4 moons well, one seemed to be casting it's shadow on the clearly banded planet. I viewed first with a 20mm uwf, then a 9mm celx, then a 6mm, then I 2X barlowed the 9mm perhaps (the best view), then barlowed the 6mm....are you kidding me...I still had focus! I can't wait until we have some real viewing nights.
    Mars was a disappointment though. It was still a bit low and seeing was pretty bad (still can't believe how good jupiter looked). I couldn't get mars to come into good focus at all. Not a good niget I guess. Forgot about a much needed piece of hardware...gloves! Borrow, fingers got numbing. All in all I'm glad I went out and that first light wasn't a complete bust.
    I did get the chance to work in the dark and get used to the mount a bit. I think I was rushing things being hungry tired and cold, as upon calling it a night and tearing down the kit, I noticed the azimuth lock screws were still loose, the retical was still beaming in the polar scope, I had forgotten to tighten the altitude after aligning, only one side of the azimuth alignment pegs were tightened and I had forgotten to level the tripod first. Next must pay more attention to these things. The mount still tracked wonderfully but had issues with goto. Wonder why?
    Live 'n learn.
     
  3. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, May 30, 2016
    #23
    I forgot to mention that when I packed up to leave, I found I had been locked in the park. All gates closed and locked with rocks blocking any hope of leaving along perimeter. Managed to drive through grass in the park, squeeze between some barriers and down a big birm..whew. must find a better spot tonight!
     
  4. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, May 30, 2016
    #24
    That sure is a beautiful telescope! Very 'refractorish!' A 127mm, yes? What is his F/? Maybe a 7?

    Nice!

    Dave
     
  5. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, May 30, 2016
    #25
    Thanks Dave, yes it is a 127mm Apochromatic ED triplet f/7.5. Not too fast not too slow. It is in my goldilocks zone for portability :)
     
  6. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, May 30, 2016
    #26
    Do you have a goto mount or are you using the more takented method of star hopping and such (when skies are clear)?
    Have you tried looking at lightning yet?
     
  7. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, May 31, 2016
    #27
    Let's see - look at 'lightning?' Umm..... A long metal tube. Pointed at the sky. An electrical-storm above me.....With 'me' as the ground? Why not do this on the Ben Franklin Memorial Golf-Course.....? Or from my home in the Twisterville TrailerPark which overlooks it? Uhhh... :eek:

    I'll pass! :p

    I have a GoTo for my refractor. And these mounts - Meade LXD55's - came with the refractor, and went on sale after Meade rolled-out the LXD75's. So I have another of these for my 200mm F/4 Rich-Field Newtonian. And I have a "Audiostar" with my LX90 12." Other than that, I star-hop using RACI's with star-charts from The SkyX-software I use. Once I set the GoTo's, I move the controls over to a computer running the SkyX regards the computerized-mounts. Much better, imho, than being held hostage at the tender mercies of some Meade-Monkey.

    "C'mon Chim-Chim! I'll give you a nice banana! Just point the telescope at M13!"

    Dave

    000000.jpg
     
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  8. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, May 31, 2016
    #28
    Lol..and the pic is hilarious
     
  9. jgroub

    jgroub Well-Known Member

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    jgroub, Jun 1, 2016
    #29
    A piece of advice. Mars IS kinda fuzzy. Meaning that partially because it's so low in the sky, and partially just because it's Mars, it's hard to get a good focus on it. If you get your goto issues worked out, try this: Get a good, precise focus on Jupiter at some high power that you think is appropriate - like 200x or even 250x if your seeing supports it.

    While still on Jupiter, switch out your eyepiece to your finder EP - the low-power, wide-field one you start out with. Yes, Jupiter will be a blob, but that doesn't matter. Now use your goto to "get your a$$ to Mars", as Ah-nold would have said. Again, Mars will be a blob too, but if you haven't touched the focuser, you'll switch out the EP to the other one where you did have get that perfect focus on Jupiter, so you'll know for sure that you've got it right on Mars.

    If going from Jupiter to Mars is too much of a slew for the goto to still be accurate (they are on opposite sides of the sky, after all), then do this with Saturn instead. Saturn's rings allow you to get a pretty good focus even when Saturn is still low in the sky.

    Good luck!
     
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  10. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 1, 2016
    #30
    Excellent advise, thanks! Saturday looks promising.
     
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  11. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 3, 2016
    #31
    Heat wave!
     
  12. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 5, 2016
    #32
    Ieq45pro mount is rock solid and dead on! Second light was an effortless pleasure using the goto with the 5" frac. Mount came with 2 11lb counterweights and the scope weighs 22lb...perfect. highly recommend this mount.
     
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  13. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Jun 5, 2016
    #33
    Thank you for the lucid critique of this mount. I'm sure folk's will find it helpful in choosing their gear for their stellar journeys. I may well become one myself - as my 'stable' grows.

    Have fun -

    Dave
     
  14. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 14, 2016
    #34
    Hoping to see the north American nebula with 2" ES 40mm and an orion ultrablock filter. Is this doable in a 5" APO from a sit with milky way obvious?
     
  15. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Jun 16, 2016
    #35
    It appears that a UHC-filter will help. An OIII will help better(maybe). And even the rarely used H-beta is useful, but not as much as the OIII. So I will leave you some links to help you run this down.

    Here's an article from the venerable Sky & Telescope:

    http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-blogs/the-north-america-nebula-2/

    And here are two articles on filters by David Knisely out of the Prairie Astronomy Club - which David is kind enough to share with the request he be cited:

    http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org.../useful-filters-for-viewing-deep-sky-objects/

    &

    http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org...formance-comparisons-for-some-common-nebulae/

    I would suggest you bookmark these article by David - they will come in handy many times if you wish to hunt DSO's and get into using filters (I have over 36 of 'em! I'm a certified Filter-Nut.).

    Enjoy!

    Dave
     
  16. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 17, 2016
    #36
    Lol, I have 3 filters and will probably get a 4th. 36 is a lot of filters though. Still pondering the high power end. I have room for 1 more eyepiece in my box with the Meade 20mm UWA on the scope while resting and balancing. 20160617_173100.jpg 20160617_173100.jpg
    20160617_173506.jpg
     
  17. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 17, 2016
    #37
    Sorry first one posted twice.....but, hey, that looks better that way
     
  18. Orion25

    Orion25 Well-Known Member

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    Orion25, Jun 19, 2016
    #38
    THAT is a some nice glass!;)
     
  19. Dave In Vermont

    Dave In Vermont Well-Known Member

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    Dave In Vermont, Jun 19, 2016
    #39
    I like how this collection contains representatives from many names in the eyepiece-business. If I am shown yet another gold-lined box full of TeleVue's®- I think I'll scream..... Better still: I'll hire the Fat-Lady from an opera to belt-out a high-note and see 'em all shatter!

    That looks like my collection! :p

    Dave
     
  20. View2

    View2 Active Member

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    View2, Jun 19, 2016
    #40
    Thanks folks. Yes, after looking through the ES40 68, I can't see how a TV would be any better. It gives a sterile harsh view, which I like. I have found my EP to fill the last spot in my box...an ES 6.7mm 82. It'll give 140X, and should barlow nicely to 280X. May be replacing the subpar plastic feeling barlow next.
    Last night I tried out all EP'S again and viewed the moon with a 2" ultrablock in the diagonal as I only have a 1.25" ND filter. At last, I saw a blue moon!
     
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